


Universal Hand Signal

by charivari



Series: Riptide/Lotty Ship of Dorkiness [3]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Awkwardness, Crushes, Cultural Differences, F/M, Humor, Interface discussion, Lost Light stupidity, M/M, Riptide is a dork, Sexual Tension, Velocity is also a dork, hand signals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-09-05
Packaged: 2018-04-19 03:20:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4730930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charivari/pseuds/charivari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riptide and Velocity have a cultural discussion on interface... and generally act like dorks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Universal Hand Signal

“Hey Riptide?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s fragging?”

Velocity’s question made Riptide choke on his engex.

“Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah,” Riptide spluttered,” You – you mentioned fragging?

Velocity hesitated – still concerned over his recent choking episode but Riptide waved her on.

“I’ve overheard the term a few times and I’m not sure what it means.”

“Uh well,” Riptide’s faceplates were hot and it made it very hard to answer directly, “It can be an insult. Like, uh, frag off. You fragger. Etc.”

Velocity nodded intently. Her study face was cute, especially given the topic was insults.

“Be careful slinging those words around though,” he warned, “Never in front of Magnus. He’ll force you to watch this really stupid ‘sensitivity in the workplace’ holovid.”

Riptide had watched it about five times.

“There’s a quiz afterwards and everything,” he groaned – then, realizing he was getting off topic, “But fragging, that’s usually a reference to… interface.”

He hoped she knew what interface meant. If she didn’t it would be even more awkward having to explain.

But Velocity’s expression was one of revelation.

“Oh you mean forging.”

“Huh?”

“Forging,” Velocity beamed, “That’s our colloquial term for interface.”

Riptide bit back a ‘well that’s weird’. He didn’t want to insult the Camien’s culture.

“Why do you call it forging?” he asked.

Velocity frowned,

“Uh, what’s the best way to explain...” she held up a finger, “You know how there’s this? And this?” her other hand formed a circle.

It was obvious what she was referring to a spike and valve. But the fact she was miming them was enough to make Riptide’s vocaliser seize with embarrassment.

Velocity seemed to think it meant she wasn’t being eloquent enough.

“This goes into this,” she poked her finger through the hole, pausing at Riptide’s look of shock, “Or do Cybertronians have different interface components? I haven’t gotten around to studying that particular part of your anatomy.”

Oh Primus, the phrasing, Riptide thought. The Camien was going to be the death of him.

“No, no,” he forced out, struggling to regather his calm, “We have the, uh, same bits as you. We call them the spike and valve.”

“Spike and valve?” Velocity repeated – the words obviously foreign to her audials.

Frag. Riptide had no choice but to copy her finger arrangements.

“Spike,” he indicated, “And valve. Before you ask, I don’t know why we call ‘em that.”

Riptide had always wondered. It hadn’t been part of his eight-step education as a M.T.O. It was probably common knowledge among non M.T.O mecha. But Riptide never inquired at the risk of sounding ignorant.

“It’s probably one of those things where the origin was lost in the passage of time,” he said, sounding impressively sage.

After all Velocity had no way of knowing he was talking out of his aft.

“Hmm,” she said contemplatively, “There might be reference to their origin in the medical database.”

Riptide tried not to slump too much in defeat. There was a high chance the database would have the answer.

Still, the thought of Velocity typing ‘spike’ and ‘valve’ into the search at the very moment First Aid happened to glance over her shoulder lifted his spirits. Imagining the C.M.O’s flustered reaction. 

“Well if the universe does offer up the answers to you," he said conspiratorially, “Let me know. That way we can both expand our knowledge.”

Yes, he commended himself, asking for answers without coming across as silly.

Though maybe ‘expand’ wasn’t the best choice of words given the subject matter.

Slag, he wondered if Velocity noticed. He hoped he hadn’t stressed the word and made it sound like a pick-up line.

But the femme's smile was reassuring,

“Sure I’ll let you know,” she rose in her seat as though she was about to head off straight away in search for answers. But then she slumped back down, smacking a palm to her forehelm, “Solus, forgetful Lotty. Just like the time you left a scalpel inside a patient..."

"You _what_?"

"Only once," Velocity insisted, "I opened them back up straight away to get it out. It's why I failed my third medical exam... Uh anyway, I was explaining why we call interface forging.”

Her hands reverted to their earlier arrangement.

“What you call a spike, we call a hammer. And a valve is called a forge. Which is why we call it forging.”

“You call your interface bits a hammer and forge?” Riptide couldn’t hide the incredulity in his voice.

The terms just sounded so odd.

Luckily Velocity didn’t seem to take offence.

“Everything in Caminus has religious significance,” she explained, “Interface is seen as a spiritual connection as well as physical one. Our spark ancestor Solus Prime was a smith. We use terminology like hammer, forge and forging in homage to her. Just as she hammered at her forge, two mecha forge something meaningful through interface.”

She shrugged her shoulders self-consciously,

“I guess it sounds silly to an outsider,” she said.

“No it sounds nice,” Riptide assured her.

Honestly it sounded hot. Painful due to the imagery of a hammer. But hot. And Riptide supposed spike had similarly painful connotations to non-Cybertronians.

Velocity shot him a smile before sighing,

“I can admit it now since I’m no longer on Caminus. But I always thought there was too much religious symbolism placed on interface. I mean, spiritual connection is important. But what about attraction and wanting to have fun?”

Riptide felt his vocaliser glitching again. The fact Velocity was giving her personal opinion on interface and staring at him as she did. It was impossible not to fantasize about kissing her on the spot.

But he didn’t dare. Velocity saying she preferred interface to be fun was not an open invitation for him to come onto her. Right?

Right?

“Fun,” he stammered, “Fun is good.”

Damn it, now she was smiling. Everything was horribly awkward and uncertain and somehow exciting. Exciting because there had to be a slight possibility she had confided in him for a reason.

He debated whether to lean in slightly, test the waters so to speak. If she leaned in too, that would indicate something.

“Hey guys.”

Riptide jumped at the sudden intrusion of Tailgate’s cheerful voice.

He glared at the minibot – unsure whether to feel relieved by his intervention or resentful of it.

His default was a lackluster ‘Hi’, which compared to Velocity’s bright greeting sounded rather surly. Not that Tailgate seemed to notice.

“What are you two doing?”

Riptide shared a glance with Velocity.

“We’re, uh, having a cultural discussion.”

“About hand signals?” Tailgate said enthusiastically, “I saw you doing this.”

With two hands he mimicked the spike in valve gesture.

The mischievous side of Riptide saw the opportunity to misinform Tailgate for the sake of entertainment. But he didn’t want to seem like a jerk in front of Velocity.  

Still, telling Tailgate the truth, given how naive the bot was, wasn’t exactly the most appealing prospect.

To make matters worse Riptide spotted Cyclonus of all people making his way towards them.

“Hey Cyclonus,” Tailgate greeted him – hands still making the gesture, “Riptide and Velocity were just about to tell me what this means.”

“Oh?” Cyclonus fixed Riptide with a piercing stare, “Enlighten us.”

The hydrobot presumed that to mean, “Rectify this situation or I will meet you in a dark corner later this cycle.”

“It means, uh…”

“It’s a universal signal for interface,” Velocity took over, showing no signs of intimidation whatsoever.

Riptide couldn’t help admire her bravery – though it possibly came from a naivete about Cyclonus’ history.

Meanwhile Tailgate was marveling at his new understanding.

“Oh yeah I see. That’s the spike and that’s the valve. That’s clever. Don’t you think Cyclonus?”

“I think you should probably cease making the gesture in a public place like Swerve’s,” Cyclonus said stiffly, “You don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.”

Riptide cringed as he felt warrior’s gaze on him again.

Tailgate moved his hands apart sheepishly,

“Yeah I guess,” he turned to Velocity, “So why were you and Rip making interface hand signals?”

Damn the kid’s curiosity.

But before any response could be given, Rodimus came striding over.

“What’s all this?” he made the spike in valve gesture, “If you’re trying to subtly organize an orgy, you’re not doing a very good job. Everyone knows what _this_ means.”

“Of course they do,” Tailgate said in a proud matter-of-fact tone, “It’s the universal signal for interface.”

Rodimus grinned as he slung an arm around the minibot’s neck,

“So you _are_ organizing an orgy?”

“Of course not,” Cyclonus growled.

Rodimus scoffed,

“Then why are you all doing this?” he repeated the gesture.

“I wasn’t,” Cyclonus motioned at Riptide and Velocity, “Ask them.”

Time to bail. Riptide hastily attempted to catch Velocity’s gaze. She nodded before turning to the others.

“It all started when I asked Riptide what fragging meant…”

Riptide fought back the urge to groan. The hand gesture for interface might be universal. The same couldn’t be said for significant glances.


End file.
